OCZ Agility EX Series SSD Review
Introduction and Specifications
When shopping for an SSD, consumers are confronted with two general options: single-level cell (SLC) or multi-level cell (MLC) flash memory based drives. The market is filled with numerous drives featuring MLC chips that are primarily aimed at more mainstream users. These products are typically less expensive and offer larger capacities than their SLC-based counterparts. On the other hand, drives featuring SLC flash memory offer increased performance and greater reliability, but cost much more as a result of these advantages. Due to the high asking price, single-level cell SSDs typically target the enterprise market where the extended endurance feature is an important consideration.
OCZ Agility EX Series 60GB SLC Solid State Drive
Until recently, the price gap between SLC and MLC solid state drives has been massive. Single-level cell drives can cost anywhere from three to four times the price of multi-level cell SSDs of the same capacity. Even for the most extreme hardware enthusiasts, it made very little sense to splurge on an SLC drive considering the value, size, and continuous performance enhancements occurring in MLC products. But now, OCZ aims to fill the price gap with the release of the most affordable SLC drive on the market. The Agility EX Series SSD features a 60GB capacity, 64MB cache, and the popular Indilinx Barefoot controller. Advertised performance is expectedly impressive, with read speed up to 255MB/s and write speed reaching 195MB/s. By combining a new, lower price point with all the advantages of SLC technology, has OCZ finally produced the perfect SSD? Read on to find out how the Agility EX performs and if it deserves to be on your upgrade list.
|
|
|
|
60GB Max Performance
|
The Agility EX Series SSD only comes in one flavor. With 60GB of storage capacity, the drive also includes 64MB onboard cache which, in combination with the newer Indilinx controller, resolves the stuttering issues found in some previous generation SSDs. Physically, it is the same size as any other 2.5" solid state drive on the market and just as lightweight. The specifications of interest are the performance ratings the drive claims to be capable of. Boasting some of the fastest sequential read / write speeds we've seen from a SATA drive, the Agility EX promises to be a real performer. Let's take a closer look at the features and abilities of OCZ's latest solid state drive.
